I'm Sorry I Hurt You
by Leirxa
Summary: I never expected that I, one of the most innocent girls in all of Radiant Garden, would end up with the most rebellious boy in town: the Leader of the Pack. AU. LeonxAerith. Songfic.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** So, this is actually a songfic to the old song "Leader of the Pack". Mostly I am, for Kingdom Hearts at least, a CloudxAerith and LeonxYuffie shipper, but I was listening this song and I was like...whoa, that is Aerith and Leon. Anyway, it is all in Aerith's POV. Each chapter will consist of a stanza of the song and then my own writing. Let's see, so there are about six stanzas, so I suppose there will be six chapters as well.

Warning: For any of you who have ever heard the song, you know how it ends and...let's just say it is a definite tearjerker. I will apologize later...

**Full Summary: **I never expected that I, one of the most innocent girls in our senior class at Radiant High, would end up with the most rebellious boy in town, who most people referred to as the Leader of the Pack. However, we both saw through our separative cliques and fell in love. My life was changed the day that we met. Please, listen to my story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts, if I did I would had made Sora kiss Kairi in the end, and Axel would still be alive. Disney and Square Enix, oh how I envy you. And the song, I don't own that either. That is "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangrilas.

**o--------------------o**

_Is she really going out with him?_

_Well there she is, lets ask her._

_Aerith, is that Leon's ring your wearing? Mhmm._

_Gee, it must be great riding with him,_

_Is he picking you up after school today? Uh-uh._

I leaned against my grey metal locker as my two best friends, Yuffie and Tifa, interrogated me. It was hard to hold myself together as I did. You see, it was the first day of school back from summer, and what an eventful summer it was. Apparantly the news had not yet reached the ears of students at my highschool of what happened only a week earlier. News never did get around fast in the quiet town of Radiant Garden.

I would not have been in school that day if my father had not literally forced me to do so. I was an emotional wreck, and having to explain myself to Tifa and Yuffie would be hard. Then again my father never had cared much about how much in love I was with Leon. He tried to keep us apart all summer long. Well, I guess anyone's father would have been worried and disapproving if you had been dating the Leader of the Pack.

I knew at that moment that I would have to tell the story. Not only my story, but Leon's. The story of my summer. It was hard to think of it as only one summer. It felt like years, decades of my life that I had spent by his side. But I guess that is how time seems to feel when you are so madly in love with a person. Love, yes, I would never doubt that love was the perfect way to describe my relationship with him.

The school ring that Tifa mentioned hung on a thin silver chain around my neck, way too large for my thin fingers. It was a tradition for a girl to wear her boyfriend's class ring. I almost laughed at the thought; Leon was hardly ever in school. The gemstone was a dark sapphire, the same color as his eyes. The eyes that I had been unable to refuse the day that we met. The eyes that I stared into all summer. The eyes that I would never see again.

Tears came to my own emerald eyes at the very thought. I quickly turned my face away and dabbed my eyes with my index finger as to avoid Tifa and Yuffie's worry, adjusting my oversized pink hair ribbon as a cover up. However, they were too observant for my own good.

"Aerith, what's wrong?" Tifa asked softly.

"It's about Leon, isn't it?" Yuffie guessed.

I simply nodded, taking a deep breath, and readied myself to tell the long story.

**o--------------------o**

**A/N: **So, this chapter was really short, but it worked as an introduction. I'm not very good at the whole sad thing, I just realized. Oh well. Also, I don't know how fast chapters will come for this. My main focus is still Release My Darkness, Love, this is just a fun little side project. I needed a change.

Review, please. I am honestly interested in what people think of this, especially the LeonxAerith pair, which I had never put much thought into myself.


	2. Where'd You Meet Him?

_By the way, where'd you meet him?_

_I met him at the candy store._

_He turned around and smiled at me. You get the picture?_

_Yes we see._

_Thats when I fell for_

_The leader of the pack._

I was in a great mood that day. Of course, I was practically always in a great mood back then. I was the sweet girl, everyone's friend, polite, and respectful to adults. Nothing was different. The weather was amazing, the ideal summer day. School had just let for summer break two days before and I was living on top of the world. Also, I had just turned eighteen, which meant I was practically seen as an adult.

I had spent the day before with Tifa and Yuffie, no surprises there. It was a rare summer day that we did not spend together, someplace or another. However this summer would turn out to be a new experience. Yuffie was going to some kind of Wutai ninja camp and Tifa was vacationing with her parents. They both would be gone all summer long. They apologized over and over the night before, but I told them not to worry about it. I could entertain myself just fine.

It was noon by the time I awoke. Sleeping in was my specialty, but so was being outside on a day as beautiful as this one was. I quickly changed into my normal pink dress. Carefully I braided my chocolate-colored hair in the usual fashion and completed it with my signature ribbon tied in an elegant bow. I didn't bother to check my hair for bumps or tangles, I had been doing the same hairstyle since I was about seven years old. Eventually these things become second nature.

I hurried out of my house, well my parent's house, and onto the quiet street outside. The warmth of the sun on my face was beyond welcome. I began walking down the lane. As I did, I heard a jangling in the pocket of my dress and remembered the munny that I had earned a few days earlier from my job at the flower shop. Aha. My first stop of the day, Radiant Sweets.

Ever since I was a child I always blew all of my munny on candies from that heaven called Radiant Sweets. As I turned onto a main street, this one much more populated with people and vehicles, I could see the familar lollipop-shaped sign that marked the candy store. I quicked my pace and reached it in no time.

When I walked on the sidewalk I noticed a familiar sight, three motorcycles leaned against the wall. Everyone in Radiant Garden knew of the boys that rode the motorcycles; rebels, they were. Loud, nonconforming guys who never followed the rules. Basically, they were the type of guys that my parents warned me to stay away from. I had never heard of them actually hurting anyone, but that was just me.

If anything ever came close to keeping me away from Radiant Sweets is was the presence of these guys within the store, loitering, no doubt about it. Still, I never much worried about such things and the scent of melted chocolate drew me to the glass door. I opened it and heard a jingling bell, announcing my arrival. I smiled at the shop keeper as I entered.

There were the three rebels, loitering in the corner of the store as I had expected. I wasn't sure if I recalled exactly their names but by guessing I connected the spiky haired blonde with the name Cloud, the black haired guy as Zack, and the brown-haired, Squall, the self-appointed leader. Realizing they were blocking the path to my favorite chocolate covered almonds, I quickly hurried past them, brushing against one as I passed.

I found them there in a small container on the shelf, the most perfect candy ever invented. I took a small bag and with the scooper poured many into the bag until it was full. Then, I sealed the bag and continued along the shelf, looking at candies and wondering whether or not to purchase anymore. As I did, however, I could not help but feel as though I was being watched.

Looking back over my shoulder, I found my suspicions to be true. Squall was practically boring holes in me with his eyes. When he realized I was looking back, he gave a smile. I recognized that look, how could I not? I had been with my fair share of boys, and even more times I had been flirted with. Secretly, I will admit, I hoped that I was wrong, but I felt a warmth in my cheeks of a blush. I turned back away quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed.

I walked further into the shop, further away from the guys. Apparantly as I did, however, they were talking about me.

"Who is that pretty girl?" Leon asked his two friends. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

"Aerith Gainsborough, but I wouldn't fall for her if I was you. She is one of the nicest girls in school," Cloud said.

"...which means she would never fall for a guy like you," Zack finished.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"She is completely out of your league," Zack added.

"Pft, what girl could refuse me?"

"She could."

Leon pushed Cloud roughly but in a joking manner.

"I bet she would like me."

"Good luck with that," Zack smirked.

Meanwhile, I had finished my sweets shopping, deciding to go only with the almonds. I made my way to the cash register, nervously passing the three as I did. I quickly threw my purchase down on the counter, and the shop keeper rang up the price.

But, before I could pay myself, Squall came up from behind me and put more than enough munny down to pay for my candies. I looked at him with surprise, picking up the bag and turning around to face him.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

"Don't mention it. Aerith, is it?"

"Yes...and you are Squall, correct?"

"I go by Leon, actually."

"Well, thanks again Leon, but I really have to get going," I lied. I just wanted to get away as soon as possible. He seemed nice, but I did not want to be involved. I could hear his friends laughing behind me and I did not understand why. I turned to leave.

"Wait, Aerith," he began, and lightly touched my arm. "I was wondering, would you like to go out with me on a date, tonight?"

"Umm..." I was very close to saying no, but something strange got a hold of me. "Sure." I believed at that point that I had made a huge mistake.

"Great, I'll pick you up around 8," his face lit up as he said so.

"Sounds good, see you tonight, then." I responded, and with a final wave I hurried out of the shop.

That entire day I fretted over what I would possibly do about my date that night. If only Tifa and Yuffie had been around I could have consulted with them. Of course, they weren't, so I was left by myself with the information. I held off on telling my parents, although it was a first. I hardly ever kept information concealed from them. After all, it was just one date, and I doubted anything would follow from there. No need to get them all worried about me over that, I decided.

The fretting was for nothing, however. The date went amazingly well. He was right on time to pick me up at 8, on his motorcycle. I will admit that riding on the back of that metal contraption frigtened me half to death, but Leon was a better driver than I expected...or perhaps he was just driving slower than usual out of consideration for me. Anyway, he brought us to a casual little restaurant not far from home.

I was surprised to find that Leon was easy to talk to. I was even more surprised that we had definite chemistry that could not be ignored. It all led to a wonderful good night kiss, as well, and I agreed to go on a second date. A summer romance, even if it was with someone the opposite of me, did not seem like such a bad thing.

**o--------------------o**

**A/N: **Okay, so when finding other guys to be the motorcyclists with Leon I wasn't so sure. I knew off the back that Cloud was in, but I wanted someone besides him. I have never played Final Fantasy so I was unfamiliar with the characters. However, I remembered reading somewhere that Cloud and Zack were friends, so I chose him. I looked online to see what he looked like, the black hair. There we go.

I hope you liked this chapter. Please review!


	3. That's Why I Fell

_My folks were always putting him down...down, down._

_They say he came from the wrong side of town._

_Whatcha mean when they say he came from the wrong side of town?_

_They told me he was bad,_

_But I knew he was sad._

_Thats why I fell for_

_The leader of the pack._

We had been dating for three weeks now, going out nearly every night. Who knew that a relationship with this young man could last even that long? It was amazing, actually. Leon was even more kind and chivalrous than any of my past boyfriends. He was always on time for dates, he would hold doors open for me, he would even let me wear his leather jacket if it was cold out. What more could a girl ask for?

It was actually Leon who reminded me that I should tell my parents who I was dating. I was so used to going behind their backs for the past few weeks that I had completely forgotten what I was doing. Of course I needed to tell them, although I was frightened.

I was at the dinner table, day dreaming about Leon and our date that night when I realized it was the opportune moment to easily let the information slip.

"Mom, Dad, I have something I want to tell you," I said.

"Of course, honey. What is it?" my Mom asked.

"Well, I have a new boyfriend."

My father made a sort of bothered face, the same face he made whenever I talked about dating in front of him. I was still his little girl, in his eyes. My mother was more understanding.

"I figured as much, you being out so often. Who is it?" she asked.

"Squall Leonhart," I replied quietly. My father was calm at first, and I knew why. He did not know right away who he was by name. After a few moments of silence he practically choked on his food, my mother looked shocked.

"The gang member?" my father asked loudly, eyes wide.

"He is not in a gang!" I responded defensively.

"But he drives that motorcycle. So maybe he's not in an official gang, but he is still bad."

"Isn't he much older than you?" my mother asked, worrysome.

"He is in my grade."

"But he might hurt you, sweetie. He seems a little rough," my mom protested in a kind manner. Still, I was exasperated.

"He'll knock you up, that's what he'll do. I know that type of guy."

"Daddy! Leon's not like that!"

"Maybe he doesn't seem that way now, but you listen to me. It will happen, and then he'll leave you."

"I've been dating him for three weeks now, I know him well!" I was so annoyed.

"What about that scar on his face? He probably got that in a fight," my mom added.

"Ugh! You are both so wrong. I thought you could just be happy for me," I said angrily, though not shouting. I never shouted. I stormed from the dinner table and out the door.

I sat on the curb in front of my house, arms crossed, glaring downwards at my brown boots. Although I had not truly expected my parents to respond to the news any better, I must admit that I was not entirely prepared for it. There I sat sulking for around twenty minutes, during which time I could hear my parents arguing about my relationship inside the house.

Finally, I heard the most familiar and welcome sound of all, Leon's motorcycle. I stood to my feet and smiled as he pulled in front of me.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "It's just...my parents." I lowered my head towards the ground again, but Leon reached with his hand and gently, placing his hand under my chin, raised my face back up to look at him.

"Don't worry about them," he said. I nodded.

"I know you're right. Just...take me away from here, anywhere." I climbed on the back of his motorcyle and as soon as I tightly wrapped my arms around him, we were off. I leaned my face against his jacket, the common scent of leather relaxing me instantly, and then shifted up a little, into his scruffy brown hair. I loved those motorcycles rides, after I had gotten used to them, my braid floating behind me in the wind.

As I caressed his neck, rather unintentionally, with my nose, I felt him shudder slightly.

"You drive me crazy." I could just barely hear him say over the loud motor of the bike. I giggled quietly.

We drove like that for a very long time, during which the sun set and the moon rose. I had no sense of where we were going or even how long we had been driving for. I only thought of how wonderful it felt to spend time with this guy. Eventually, however, we slowed and came to a stop. I lept off first, smiling brightly, and Leon stepped off, kicking the stand to hold the bike up.

I could hear running water nearby. It was only then that I looked around and figured out where we were, the Ravine Trail. Only about an hour drive from my town, the Ravine Trail was a beautiful spot that I rarely visited. It was very dark, the only light was the moon and the stars, which, at least, were very bright there. I shivered suddenly, it was cold at night.

"Oh, here." Leon took off his leather jacket and put it around my arms. I pulled it around me tightly.

"Thanks." I smiled, looking up at him (he was relatively taller). I leaned against the rock wall nearby. Leon leaned next to me.

"So your parents don't approve of me then?" he questioned. "What a surprise," he added, sarcastically.

"They just don't understand. My father worries about me."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I know people don't really like me. It's just one of the disadvantages to being me."

"But I like you. You're really such a nice guy, I wish other people could see that."

"It doesn't matter," he looked away.

I put my hand on his face, turning it to me, and gently pressed my lips against his. Leon was such a good kisser that my legs almost turned to jelly whenever I was in the middle of one. He wrapped his arms around my waist to hold me up.

I remembered at that moment something my mom had mentioned during our fight, something that I was curious about. When our lips eventually disconnected, I stared into his eyes. I let my fingers drift across his face, along the long scar that started above his right eye and continued to below his left eye. As I did, he gently grabbed that hand and lowered it.

"How did it happen?" I whispered.

"It was a long time ago..." he began softly, but looked unsure and hurt. "I was about ten years old. My father always was rough, but one night he just snapped on my mother. I tried to stop him..." He stopped and made it clear that it was too painful to continue.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. I felt bad for even asking, for making him have to relive it. I guess it explained a lot, just that sentence. Something he had to carry with him his entire life, not just the physical scars, but the emotional scars of abuse. He was just misunderstood.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured into his ear.

"Don't worry about it..." he breathed but still leaned far into the embrace, which lasted for several minutes. It was he that finally pulled away.

"Aerith?"

"Mhmm?"

"I was wondering if you'd wear this." He took his class ring off his finger and offered it to me. I smiled brightly and nodded.

"Of course." I took it into the palm of my hand and held it tightly. I slipped it carefully into my pocket, planning to put it on a chain later.

"Great," he said quietly. "I think I love you, Flower Girl," he added. Flower Girl was his petname for me.

"And I think I love you, Leader of the Pack." I grinned and rested my head against his chest.

It was at that moment that we became official boyfriend and girlfriend. I felt blissful and delighted.

**o--------------------o**

**A/N: **Aw. I didn't get any reviews on the last chapter. That was depressing. Besides that, I really enjoy writing this story, this chapter in particular. I think Leon and Aerith have a definite chemistry. Hm. The next chapter is going to depress me further, though.

Please, please review!


	4. We're Through

_One day my dad said find someone new._

_I had to tell my Leon we're through._

_Whatcha mean when you say you had to go find somebody new?_

_He stood there and asked me why._

_But all I could do was cry._

_I'm sorry I hurt you_

_The leader of the pack._

Two and a half months passed like nothing at all. Due to my friends being away all summer and my extremely passionate and close relationship with Leon, I spent nearly all of my time by his side. I could hardly wait for Yuffie and Tifa to return so that I could fill them in on all of the details. I knew they would hang on my every word, giving me tips and congratulating me on a fine boyfriend.

I kept my job at the flower shop, though only working a couple days out of the week. Basically Leon would pay for anything that I needed, but I still wanted to feel worth something. He would visit me at my job often, although once he did get told off by the store manager who did not appreciate him loitering around. We had a good laugh at it later on, but then had to be more careful about how much time he spent in the shop.

I did not speak much at all to my parents for that entire summer. Even if I did manage to start a good conversation with either my mother or father, they would end up slipping something in about how wrong Leon was for me and I refused to speak to them any longer.

It was usually past midnight by the time Leon would drop me off at home. Time just seemed to be so meaningless when we were together, so that it just sped by and we lost track. We could spend hours on end just cuddling and staring into eachother's eyes.

_He was more than just a highschool sweetheart, he was my other half. I can remember being a child and pawing through thousands of puzzle pieces to find those that fit together. The chances of finding the one that fit was one in ten thousand, and yet somehow I always did. Leon was like my matching puzzle piece. He completed me and I completed him._

This night was an ordinary one. It was about 12:35 AM as we pulled in front of my house. We both stepped off the bike and he walked me to my door, holding my hand as always.

"Goodnight. I love you, Flower Girl," he said and gave me a romantic good night kiss.

"I love you too. See you tomorrow."

"I'll pick you up at 8 in the evening."

"I wish it could be earlier," I sighed, but knew it could not. Leon had to go to work, himself. Oh well. I smiled and then, with a final wave, entered into my house. I could hear Leon drive away on his motorcycle.

I was surprised to find that the light in the kitchen of my house was on. Usually all of the lights were turned off and my parents were asleep in bed. I slowly peeked into the kitchen and found my father sitting at the table, facing me. His expression was a mix between sadness and anger, and certainly gave me a bad feeling. He beckoned me in.

"What's wrong?" I asked, approaching the table.

"I'm sorry that it has to come to this, Aerith, but your mother and I had a serious discussion this evening," he said in a very somber tone.

"About what?"

"You. I doubt you have noticed, but you have changed badly over the course of this summer, honey. It's that man, he is a bad influence on you. You hardly talk to your mother and I and you come home so late. It needs to stop," he explained.

"You are setting me a curfew?" I questioned curiously. I was not getting the point, my father shook his head.

"No, I am forbidding you to see Leon anymore." His voice was matter-of-fact, very stern.

I gasped, and my jaw dropped. "Daddy...you c-can't," I stuttered.

"Actually, Aerith, I can."

"No! I can still see him, it's not up to you!"

"I was afraid it would come to that. If you do not stop seeing him, you may not live under our roof. Your mother and I will no longer have anything to do with you. We will not pay for your college tuition, nor will we help you at all. Now, honey, we both know that you do not want to do that. Your mother and I love you, and only want what is best."

Tears began to spill out of my eyes. I did not know how to respond. I could not sever ties with my parents, I loved them. Also, I was counting on them to pay for my tuition and still take care of me. I did not have enough of money to take care of myself. My heart felt as though it was being torn in two, because on the other hand I loved Leon so much. Still, disobeying my parents was something I never could do.

"Don't make me do this...I love him," I whimpered.

"You'll thank me later. You can find someone new...anyone but him."

"It's not fair!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, sobbing and running into my bedroom. I collapsed onto my bed, screaming and sobbing into my pillow. I cried myself to sleep, and rather cried during my sleep as well. I would dream of Leon, wake up, and start crying all over again.

I could not imagine how I possibly would break up with him. I _loved _him. I _needed _him. But I had always decided that my family came first in my life. Especially due to the fact that in my society children obeyed their parents.

I awoke just before noontime, and prayed that the talk with my father had all just been a dream. But then, after waking myself up some more, I realized that it wasn't. Pulling myself out of bed was hard, as I knew it would begin one of the worst days of my life. Looking in the mirror, I realized I was a mess: blotchy eyes and tangled hair. I pulled myself together in order to fix my appearance.

I refused to face my parents, to give them the pleasure of seeing me preparing to break up with Leon. _Why did they have to do this to me?_ Therefore, I spent the entire day in my room.

I did not cry anymore. I was hardening my heart to the best of my ability. If I did not prepare myself for that evening I would fall apart. That would make everything even worse, if such a thing was possible.

The time stood still to me; the time before my break up with Leon. Still, it did come, the sun rose and then fell. Around 3 the sun was covered by clouds and a dreary drizzle began. By the time 8 rolled around, it was pouring rain. Normally, I did not mind the summer rain. It was refreshing, and Leon and I would still ride his motorcycle through it. But now it was just dark and dismal.

I heard his motorcycle even over the sound of the rain. I took a deep breath and hurried through the house and outside. He stood at my door, smiling at me. His hair was drenched from the rain, sticking to his face. _He looked so cute._

"I missed you, little flower." He leaned to kiss me and I could not refuse, but I ended it quicly.

"I missed you too, Leon...but we need to talk," as I began to talk I lost all of the courage I had worked up. My bottom lip began to tremble, I felt a huge lump in my throat, and I knew the tears would come soon.

"What's wrong, Flower Girl?" His smile remained, and he caressed my cheek with his hand.

I brought my gaze to the side, pulling away from his comforting hand. I could not stand to look at him. "We...we can't do this anymore. W-we're through," I just managed to say. Suddenly the rush was too much, and all of the tears streamed out at once. I cried quietly, holding my hand up to my face.

Leon looked even more hurt than I had imagined him to be. "N-no..why?" he stuttered, looking terribly confused.

"Please, just d-don't ask. It's just better this way." I just wanted it to be over with.

"I love you, Aerith...I thought you loved me." His pleading was too much to bare, my crying became intense sobbing.

"Of course I love you...but we can't be together. It's not meant to be. We're too different," I sobbed.

A dawning look of comprehension overcame Leon's distraught face, but it failed to hide his internal, emotional pain.

**o--------------------o**

**A/N:** Okay, so that's a little bit of a cliffhanger I suppose (the next stanza connects to this one). I wanted to update last night but I had trumpet lessons and therefore no time to finish writing the chapter. In response to Leon being out of character, yes, I must admit that I realized that. I guess it is AU and OOC...him being rather cold and distant would have been harder to work with. Plus, I love a sweet Leon, even if such a thing doesn't exist.

Only two chapters left. I hope I get more reviews!


	5. I'll Never Know

_He sort of smiled, and kissed me goodbye,_

_The tears were beginning to show._

_As he drove away on that rainy night, I begged him to go slow._

_Whether he heard, I'll never know._

_No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No._

_**Look out, look out, look out!**_

Leon had realized why I was breaking up with him, and he understood. This was not the first time that someone had let him down in his life(although it _was_ the first time that he knew he was in love). He should have been ready for it, really. The shock was what caused most of the pain. This was the first time in a long time that he had let himself get close to someone, to love someone.

_And I broke his heart. I let him down. I was taking away his ability to trust in another human being._

"Your parents..." he said quietly. I gave a gentle nod.

"But please don't be mad at them...please just accept it," I responded through my tears.

"I'm not mad...I understand, Aerith." He looked away.

We were both dripping wet. The atmosphere was reflecting our moods...the rain seemingly matching my tears. A few moments passed, mostly with us glancing at eachother. My crying had not eased, I could not expect it to.

"I'm going to miss you more than you know," I said.

"I think I know...I love you, Flower Girl."

I cried even more at his words. He still sounded so caring, so loving, and yet I didn't deserve it...I hurt him. I broke his heart. I shook my head even thinking about what I was doing. I reached to my neck and unclasped the necklace containing his ring. I offered out to him in my open palm, but he shook his head.

"That belongs to you...and _always _will."

"I don't deserve your love anymore," I replied but replaced it around my neck. I would have felt so lost without it.

"Of course you do. It's not your fault that your parents don't understand."

"You're right...and you know how much I love you. Maybe someday...once I get out on my own...but I couldn't expect you to wait," I trailed off.

"I would wait a _lifetime _for you."

I cried deeply now. I loved him so much. Leon put his arms around me and held me close as I cried into his shirt, he stroked my hair.

"Don't be sad, my little flower. This is not the end. Maybe we will be together again someday, but even if we aren't, you will have a great life. You are making the right decision, you know, breaking up with me..." And yet, as he said it, his own tears formed over the thought that this could be his last chance to hug me.

"If it's right, then how can it hurt so bad?" I sobbed.

"Sometimes the right decisions are the hardest to make, darling."

I let out a sigh and finally pulled away from the embrace, one of the hardest things I had to do in my life. I could see Leon's tears clouding his sapphire eyes, although he wore a strong expression; a gentle smile with the purpose to only make me feel better. He leaned in and let his lips touch mine, just a quick kiss, and stood back up, straight.

"Goodbye, Leader of the Pack."

"Bye, little flower..." he turned his head away and mounted his motorcycle. I could see how absolutely distraught he was now, although his tears were hidden by the rain.

"Please drive carefully," I said quietly. I realized how clouded his vision must be with his tears.

Leon only looked at me one last time before driving off down the street. He was not quite speeding, but nor was he going slow. He just needed to get away, go somewhere alone. I cried gently as I watched him ride down the street.

What followed is hard for me to remember. It happened so fast that it makes my head spin.

_A car was speeding off from a side road onto my street, its windshield hard to see out of due to the driving rain and darkness of night. Therefore, it did not see Leon in time, nor could Leon much get out of the way in time. His reflexes were slow. Perhaps if the weather had been nice it never would have happened, but his motorcyle had terrible traction on the wet ground. I heard the squealing tires, the honking of the car horn._

_"_**Look out! Look out! Look out!" **I shouted to Leon, mind whirling. It was so unreal, all of it.

_And then I heard the crash...I thought I would faint right there...the crash. The car colliding with the bike, sending it into a telephone pole. The glass from the car windshield breaking. And Leon, my one true love, being thrown off of the motorcycle, landing closeby in a pile of crushed glass._

_I screamed. I don't know how I ever got my legs to move, but somehow I was running. Oh God, please let him be alive. And then I was on my knees next to Leon. He was alive...barely. I could hear voices, the car driver calling an ambulance. But my mind was set on Leon._

_How he looked...it was devastating. Holding on to conciousness only for me...blood everywhere, shards of glass piercing his delicate skin. His breathing sounded pained and forced. I leaned over him. With one of my hands I held onto his, and with the other I stroked the side of his face and his hair._

_"A-Aerith..." he stuttered, as he tried to speak he choked on blood, coughing it up. Forcing my tears back was hard, but I knew I must, for him._

_"Leon...Leon. I'm here. It's okay, you're going to be okay. Just hold on." My voice was shaking, overly high-pitched._

_"Remember what...I said...before," he was desperately trying to speak, though it was hard. "I would...wait...a lifetime...I lied." I was confused by his statement, until he continued. "...I will wait...an eternity."_

_"Leon, don't talk like that. You're going to be fine...the ambulance is on its way, just hold on." I began to cry now. _

_He reached a hand up and wiped away my tears._

_"You'll do better...without me...I promise."_

_"Stop talking like that," I pleaded._

_"Don't be sad...beautiful...flower...I love..."_

_His body began to convulse with muscle spasms, shaking uncontrollabily. I was so frightening, not knowing what to do. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him against me, but it continued. And then the worse happened...it stopped. I let him go, now up next to his face. His eyes were open, but blank. Face paled from the loss of blood. No...no!_

_"Leon...Leon!" I began to sob, shaking him gently. I refused to let him go._

_"I love you! Don't leave me!" I collapsed on top of his lifeless body, sobbing wildly and painfully. _

_I was wracked with these sobs for many minutes. I lost track of all of my senses...everything went blank. I did not hear the ambulances, I did not see the flashing lights. I did not hear my crying, worried parents as they ran behind me. I did feel as someone tried to get me off Leon. "He's gone." they said. They were silly, of course he wasn't gone. I tried to tell them, but they weren't listening to me._

_"No...no." I was muttering over and over. And then I was ripped off him by my father. I sobbed more, desperately trying to get back to Leon. He needed me, but the paramedics were hiding him from view, putting him in a bag. Stop..._

_And then my senses came whirling back. I raised my hands up to my face, sticky crimson. And I looked down to my dress, stained with blood, and my face smeared with it. Pieces of glass were piercing my knees from the ground. I screamed loudly, quaking with fear and disturbance. Paramedics picked me up and set me on the back of an ambulance, where they removed the glass from my knees and cleaned the cuts._

_My mother held onto my hand, crying for me. My father looked on with a somber expression. But they didn't care for Leon, they didn't care that he was gone. Gone...My tears did not relent. I could hear my father talking to a paramedic about me. And then he scooped me up in his arms and carried me back to our house, my mother walking alongside us._

_"I can walk..." I cried, but he wouldn't put me down, afraid that I would run back to Leon. I probably would have._

_And then I was at my house, where I ran to my bathroom as soon as I was put down on my feet. I immediately stepped into the shower and let the icy water wash the dried, and wet, blood away. My tears, too, were washed away. That is, until I had finished and went to bed. There I sobbed for the entire night._

**o--------------------o**

**A/N: **I honestly did think I would get more reviews on this...but it's okay. I've had fun writing it. Until now...now I'm just sad over this chapter. I hope I did Leon justice in this. I cannot even express how hard it was to write, even if it is just a story with fictional characters. Death is sad.

There is just one chapter left, with one stanza. A sort of epilogue, I suppose.


	6. Epilogue: I'll Never Forget Him

_I felt so helpless, what could I do?_

_Remembering all the things we've been through._

_In school they all stop and stare._

_I can't hide my tears but I dont care._

_I'll never forget him: the leader of the pack._

And then I was at the wake in a small, cheap funeral home, only two days later. I had to arrange basically everything by myself, as Leon had no family left. My parents refused to help, as they blamed Leon for his own death. I could not afford much by myself, so it was hard. Leon deserved the best even in death...but I could not give it to him.

But I think the hardest part was holding myself together as I did try to arrange all of these things. Through all of the phone calls and arrangements I felt so broken, trying desperately to forget all of the times that we were together. The newspaper for the obituaries, the hospital with his body, the funeral home, the cemetary, the graveyard, and the tombstone to be made...it was a complete blur. Still, I somehow did manage to hold myself together.

Now I was standing in front of his open coffin, tears falling in heavy waterfalls from my eyes. I wore black for the first time in my life, though my favorite pink ribbon I wore in my hair. Leon always told me how much he loved it, and I knew he was watching over me now.

Although his body was laying right in front of me, I knew that it was not truly him. The shut eyes hid his empty expression, making him look almost asleep. His skin color was off, hands folded. I let my hand drift through his long hair. When putting him together for the wake the people had wanted to make his scruffy hair look nicer, but I completely spoke against it. That wasn't him.

Then, Cloud and Zack walked in, both of them wearing black as well. This was the entire group who had come to mourn the loss of one of the most caring men in all of Radiant Garden, just the three of us. They sat at the back of the room in complete silence, looking towards the floor. They did not speak to me, or even acknowledge my presence...they never had liked me.

I brought my attention back to Leon, no longer touching him. He did not feel as he did, and I could not stand it. I pulled gently on the ribbon in my hair and it untied. I held it for a few moments, and then carefully tucked it under his folded hands. Just as he told me his class ring belonged to me, my ribbon belonged to him.

It was when his coffin was being lowered into the ground that the worst struck, that I knew I would never see him again. I would never hug him, never kiss him, never cuddle with him, and never stare into his dark blue eyes ever again. I began to sob again, and no one was there to comfort me. Once again, Cloud and Zack did not seem to care.

The rest of the week was so difficult to cope with, but at least I knew Yuffie and Tifa would be coming back for school. They would care, seeing as though no one else did. My father drove me to school that day, not saying a single word.

And then I told the story to Tifa and Yuffie of my summer. They acted just as I expected them to, full of sympathy, compassion, kindness. I started crying when telling the story, and they each hugged me in turn so that I was able to pull myself together.

"I'm so sorry..." Yuffie said while hugging me.

"It'll be okay..." was what Tifa said.

The bell rang for our first period class and I had to hurry off, having a different class than the two of them. It was during this walk that I noticed people staring oddly at me, but I did not pay attention. It was just my imagination...it had to be.

But then at break, after first period, I noticed what really was happening. Rumors were spreading throughout the school. I could hear a few of them as I quickly tried to get through the hallways. I wish I hadn't.

"Did you hear about that Aerith girl? Apparently she was dating Leon, you know, Squall Leonhart...he died a week ago."

"What did he ever see in _her_?"

"...sent him away, he sped away on his motorcycle, that's how it happened."

"She broke his heart..."

"It's her fault, all her fault."

"There she is." They would point at me, not caring if I saw them.

The rumors went only from bad to worse, and before long the entire school blamed me for Leon's death. Of course, I knew the truth, and that was all that mattered. Still, it hurt for them to be talking about Leon.

It wasn't much better when I walked past Cloud and Zack. They called out to me.

"Aerith," Zack called me over. I reluctantly and timidly walked over to them.

"Yes?" I questioned.

"Why'd you do it?" Cloud asked, slight anger in his voice.

"Why did I do what...?"

"Break his heart," Zack said.

"He loved you, I had never seen him like that before. He was always happy," Cloud added.

"Why did you take that away from him?"

"I...I didn't want to. I just...had to."

"What, he wasn't good enough for you?" Zack snapped.

"No, it's not like that!"

"Yeah right. So you just decided to let him go. You probably knew it would kill him, or at least you should have known. You probably didn't care," Cloud retorted.

"Of course I cared, I loved him..." I began to cry. The two boys only glared at me. Luckily for me, Tifa and Yuffie hurried up behind me and noticed how much they were hurting me.

"Leave her alone," Yuffie told them angrily in my defense, holding onto one of my arms.

"She didn't do anything wrong," Tifa added, holding my other arm. The two steared me away and to the girls bathroom. There they helped me to stop crying and once again get myself together.

This was basically the pattern for my entire day, although Cloud and Zack did leave me alone after that. Other people took their place, though, shooting looks of daggers at me. No one understood how much I loved Leon, not really. Without Tifa and Yuffie protecting me I probably never would have made it through that day. When the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day, it was a complete and utter relief. I hurried out of the school, clutching my books.

I had to work for a couple of hours at the flower shop, which was not too bad, actually. It gave me a chance to concentrate on something completely, taking my mind off Leon. After my shift, I walked to the graveyard which was not far away. Slowly I approached his small grave, the dirt upon it still fresh. I kneeled next to his tombstone, allowing myself to cry gently for several minutes.

_"I will miss you, Leader of the Pack." I whispered, and upon his grave I placed a single pink flower._

**_Gone, the leader of the pack and now he's gone_**.

_**end**_

**o--------------------o**

**A/N: **It is finished. I have finished my first Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, even if it was just short songfic. Yay! Please review. Oh, and now I will go back to concentrating all of my time on Release My Darkness, Love.

Thanks for reading!


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